Freefall
by ThePandorica
Summary: You think it's hard falling in love? Try falling out. Hannah/Zacharias.


**A/N:** Written for the HPFC 'Heartbroken' Challenge. This isn't my best, as I tried to write it down as quickly as possible – what with all the plot bunnies racing around my head, but hopefully I captured the mood. Enjoy and review, please?

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"Hannah, look I didn't mean it I swear!"

Zacharias ran after her frantically. His hair was a mess and his eyes shone in desperation. He followed her, down the hallway and out into the courtyard. It was raining, and it was bitterly cold, yet neither felt it. His words were lost on her. Unbeknownst to him, they had been lost on her for quite some time – and he'd have a hell of a time ever finding what he'd lost. Unlocking something that was now lost forever in a cascade of tears and broken promises.

"I don't care, Smith! Leave. Me. Alone."

She stopped in the middle of the courtyard, the rain now pouring down. Her breath misted in the air, as she refused to turn and look back at him.

"Hannah, call me by my name. Please."

He stepped forward, hesitantly, as though the slightest movement was going to spark her off again. He didn't want that, and he hadn't wanted any of this to happen. He saw her clench her fists, and then she turned quickly spinning on her heels, toward him.

Instantly, he stepped back his breath catching in his throat as he looked at her. Her face was thunderous, verging on the edge of tears. Zacharias licked his lips – they seemed dry even in the pouring rain and he swallowed, his throat feeling as rough as sandpaper.

"Hannah, I never meant to hurt you. It – It was a-an accident."

She rolled her eyes and stared deftly up into the sky, struggling to maintain her composure.

"O-oh, I get it. L-like snogging Parvarti in f-front of me wasn't an accident? L-like supposedly coming out of an e-empty classroom with her, wasn't one too?"

He cut in, desperately.

"No, Hannah! You don't understand..."

She laughed a bitter and spiteful cackle that seemed to wrench itself from her very being. Zacharias winced.

"Don't understand?! Oh, I think I u-understand _perfectly._ You don't want me anymore."

His eyes widened with the incredulity of her statement, and he tried to suppress a laugh. Unfortunately, she caught it.

"You think it's funny, do you? I-I'll show you funny!"

Then, quicker than he could blink Hannah had drawn her wand and was now pointing it at his chest, her nostrils flaring dangerously, as she fought to maintain the pain and heartbreak that seemed to consume her.

He didn't want to draw his own. He really didn't, but it seemed that Hannah had left him no choice. Slowly, he drew his own, yet held it languidly at his side not wanting to raise it. Instead, he raised both of his hands in the air as a surrendering gesture and lowered his head.

"I know it's not funny, Hannah. I k-know I've hurt you and I-I'm sorry – but it's not what you think."

She sniffed and raised her wand, her hand shaking as she did so.

"Not what I think? T-then Smith" She spat out his name forcefully, and in such an un-Hannah like way, that it slightly scared him; "...do tell me."

Zacharias exhaled, and gently lowered his hands.

"I don't like Parvarti. She blackmailed me into making it look like we did...stuff, so that she could get back at you."

At this, Hannah lowered her wand and wiped her face with her sleeve.

"That kiss looked pretty real to me..."

Now, finally hopeful that she might have calmed down, Zacharias took an optimistic step forward.

"It wasn't."

She paused, and now only the sound of the rain pattering on the stones could be heard. Their breath misted in the cold, frosty air. Slowly and with some seeming deliberation behind her next words, Hannah spoke again;

"The worst thing a guy can do is make a girl fall for him, with no intention to catch her."

She looked up and met his gaze;

"That's what you did Zacharias. You have _hurt_ me and now I don't think that I'll ever be able to look you in the face again."

His jaw dropped, as she forcefully and purposefully pushed past him. Then, seeming to pull himself together he spun around and called after her;

"Oh, come on Hannah. Have a heart, why don't you? None of that stuff was true!"

She stopped and then turned back to face him, her gaze filled with such venom and hatred, he flinched.

"That's r-rich coming from you. Because Zacharias, unlike you, I _have_ a heart and I know I have a heart, because I can feel it breaking."

As she said this, the last two syllables' of her sentence cracked and she lost her composure. Turning away, she ran back out of the rain and through the hallway.

She didn't look back.


End file.
